Issa, Brautigan, and an Interview

A couple of quick notes before tomorrow's weekly posting. I found this wonderful Issa poem, translated by Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto, here:

http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/08/25/
kobayashi-issa-where-there-are-humans/

For those inclined to spiritual poetry, Poetry Chaikhana seems to be a delightful blog, well worth exploring.

Also found this morning a great list, though I'm not sure great for the intended reason, entitled Ten Poems to Read When You Get Stuffed in Your Locker (I actually saw a fellow student stuffed into his locker by the principal, at a Catholic high school, no less). This is a list of really wonderful poems and, though I'd like to think students would be into John Clare and Michael Ryan's take on things "Larkinesque", I'm thinking, um, maybe not. In any case, this is a wonderful selection of fine poems (ok, the J. V. Cunningham poem addressed to a 30 year old may not be for the locker-stuffed crowd) for nearly everyone. I was particularly delighted to find Richard Brautigan, who seems to continue to grab the younger crowd as he did "in the day" so many years ago:



I Feel Horrible. She Doesn't

I feel horrible. She doesn't
love me and I wander around
the house like a sewing machine
that's just finished sewing
a turd to a garbage lid.

Richard Brautigan

Maybe not the type of picaresque image one evokes first thing in the morning, but the locker-stuffed crowd can definitely relate. Berryman's "Dream Song 14" is also a humdinger. Check out the list; you won't be disappointed.

Finally, the Poet Hound blog has interviewed me and posted the results. I'll have to leave it to you as to how it all came out; my eyes are still covered. It's hard for me to believe folks would be interested but PH was very gracious and accommodating of my predilections and peccadilloes. I'd like to thank them for spreading the good word(s). A website designed for poets themselves, PH connects folks up with resources and interviews various poets, writers and publishers who go about "the business" of poetry, as well as providing sample poems from around the net and notices of the many poetry markets out there.

Ok, I'm peeking through my fingers now ...



best,
Don

PS 140 Near Perfect Books of Poetry and counting ...